Olga and her mother were always welcome in Parisian society; they rated high on guest lists that included barons and baronnes, comtes and comtesse, and the occasional prince or princess. "My mother would take me to the along for my education, on the condition that I put my hair up," Olga remembered; "I usually wore it tied back with a large bow." A petite five feet three inches tall, Olga appeared younger than her years...
Excerpt page 28:
Another venue for Olga's talent was St. Genevieve's Club on the rue Vaugirad in Monteparnasse (known to the American colony as Sylvia Beach;es father's club). The British group assembled at the Lyceum where Olga, still in her tees, "performed with finish" before the evening was brought to a close with impromptu dancing and enthusiastic renditions of "God Save The King." Through Julia's contacts, Olga was also invited to perform at the matinees musicales at the avenue Niel home of Madam Giulia Valda with the American soprano Julia Porter, then the star pupil of Madame Valda. The Musical Courier applauded the obbligato in the Bach-Gounod arrangement of Ave Maria" of the very capable young violinist whose excellent musicianship has been mentioned before.
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Olga had a first love, Egerton Grey, a friend of the family who returned her affections. Egerton accepted an arranged marriage that soon turned out to be a mistake. But war (World War I) was brewing and many Americans feared they might be caught up in it. Many expats went back to America. Others left continental Europe. As the Rudge's moved to London, war in progress, recitals and performances were rare.
In July of 1916 in London, Olga played at an "All British" concert in which King George, Queen Mary, and the Queen Mother Alexandra were patrons. Attending were the Princess of Monaco, the Grand Duke Michael of Russia, Lady Randolph Churchill, Lady Cunard, and the Princess de Polignac, a Singer sewing machine heiress, who would later be Olga's primary patron.
Her mother single-mindedly promoted Olga's career the young woman turned twenty-one. In 1916, among her notable performances was at Aeolian Hall where the audience numbered 600.
Meanwhile Olga's brothers participated in the war as did Egerton Grey. One of her brothers was killed and the other lost his eye. Though Egerton and Olga continued to write to each other, bit by bit the beautiful and accomplished Olga Rudge was loosing interest. Perhaps she knew her first priority had to be her career. Her reputation as a concert violinist was growing and she was praised for her virtuosity. While the war and all the horror it brought had effected her family, the biggest shock was yet to come.
Julia Rudge died in May of 1920. The emotional stress of the war was blamed - a "broken heart." But as she was dying she made Olga promise that she would not continue on with Egerton Grey, who was awaiting the official annulment of his brief marriage. Olga did so, though she broke the romantic Egerton's heart, who reminded her that he knew she loved him and that she had vowed to be his forever. They had been in love with each other for about eight years.
Excerpt age 44:
In her journal many years later, Olga confessed: "If I had let my mother know how much (Egerton) meant to me, she would have acted and felt differently. She was right. I did not care enough." Thumbing through the pages of The Cantos, she turned to the line, "Nothing matters save the qualify of the affection.
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As a note The Cantos is a long poem written by Ezra Pound. Described as unfinished and written mostly between 1915 and 1962, comprised of 120 Cantos... A canto is a break in a long poem, each canto is like a chapter. Here is an explanation: POETS ORG - GLOSSARY : CANTO
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